Blind people are not allowed to read books that are available in Braille or other accessible formats, if the book has been converted in a country other than the one they live in. For example, blind people in Britain are not allowed to read US Braille...

Following the expiry of the 15th October deadline it had given to France, the European Commission has made clear its position, and leaves open the possibility of taking further action. Ultimately it is the European citizens themselves who must rise...

EU drops Roma charge against Paris from FT.com – World, Europe European Commission drops planned legal action against France over its failure to implement migration law that was mooted in connection with Roma crackdown Is Europe a la Carte the...

It appears as if France has got off scot-free (at least for the time being) with its deportations of its Roma population during the summer. Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, who led the verbal counter-attack, has today indicated that the Commissio...

Gay Sex vs. Straight Sex Gay issues have been in the news a lot lately, from the debate over same-sex marriage in Congress to a sickening rash of gay-bashing here in New York City. We see a lot of emotion out there, instead of information, and we wan...

On October 4th European Alternatives hosted, in conjunction with Café Babel, a lively debate on European citizenship and the position of the Roma in France, with: Helene Flautre, MEP – Greens/EFA, France Vasile Ionescu, Director, Roma Organis...

France’s expulsion of Roma shows that the rights of EU citizens are still in a formative phase, and issues of scope and exceptions concern other mobile Europeans as well. The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) has published a welcome researc...

The Morning Star newspaper likes to present itself as a non-factional paper of the broad left of the British labour movement. In reality, it is the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of Britain, the remnants of the old out-and-out Stalinist CP. True,...

Some brief thoughts on tomorrow's important announcements in Brussels, on "economic governance" and France's treatment of the Romanies. ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, will present six separate proposal...

Niccolo Milanese from European Alternatives spoke on BBC's World Today programme at 7.45am on September 29, discussing recent expulsions of Roma from France and the reaction of the European Commission. No related posts.

It is not just in France that there are serious concerns about recent migratory patterns amongst formerly eastern European Roma. Now of course he says it is so that the best care can be provided for them,Dutch local authority areas where Roma familie...

The French “Romagate” affair was highlighted dramatically before and during the summit of EU leaders, but the official conclusions were as if from another planet. The Spanish journalist and Euroblogger Daniel Basteiro gave a vivid description of...

One of the questions in the wake of the French “Romagate” affair is how it affects the international standing of France. Regards citoyens republished an article by Christian Lequesne in Le Monde: L’attitude du pouvoir vis-à-vis de l’Europe i...

Statement by EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding: “Discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin or race has no place in Europe. It is incompatible with the values on which the European Union is founded.” “Over the past weeks, the...

The Bloggingportal.eu blog headlined its Week in Bloggingportal France vs. Europe, but more than yesterday’s news the French crackdown on illegal Roma camps is a fountain of learning about how the European Union (mal)functions. Charles Forelle on...

"I sincerely hope that following the deletion of any explicit reference to Roma in the circular in question, France will redress other legal and procedural shortcomings as well. I also hope that the European Commission will take the necessary actions...

“Out of sight, out of mind” is a very human reaction to the appearance of Roma beggars and camps. It would be easiest, if the sight would kindly evaporate. However, we have to realise that this is not going to happen. Thus, we have to expect more...

From a human rights perspective, Stijn Smet on the Strasbourg Observers describes the “utterly unacceptable treatment of Roma by Sarkozy’s government”. The discriminatory practice violates both the freedom of movement within the EU and the proh...

A one-day summit held 16 September will be remembered for a dramatic clash between Nicolas Sarkozy and José Manuel Barroso over the expulsions of Roma by France. In an institutional crisis that is still ongoing, the French president spoke of a...

France is a bit of bother in the last week. Firstly there is the expulsion in mass of its Roma Residents, which has gotten France into trouble with the European Commission. Then the French Senate voted to ban the Niqab and Burka. France could be br...

On the French government website, the interior minister Brice Hortefeux, immigration and integration minister Eric Besson and EU minister Pierre Lellouche jointly reported on 30 August 2010 that 128 illicit camps had already been ‘evacuated’ sinc...

The French “Romagate” affair tells us more about the state of the European Union than the speech of Commission president José Manuel Barroso ever did. The shouted and whispered words open a treasure cave, as in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. T...

“Discrimination on the base of ethnic origin or race has no place in Europe. It is incompatible with the values on which the European Union is founded”. There is no room for any misunderstanding in Viviane Reding's words, Vice-President of the Eu...

The French Nouvel Observateur published a wide European press review with, in the main, highly critical reactions to president Nicolas Sarkozy’s anti-Roma policies and EU summit outbursts. Aggressive, outspoken and selective in his use of facts, M...

I don’t know if humour is a divine gift, but it makes life easier on Earth. Despite the sad events, some Euroblog writers have been able to find comic aspects surrounding the French government’s demolition of Roma camps and mass repatriation of E...

In a transparently political measure to please the anti-immigration Right - basically the voters of the National Front - President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and his Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux from August on have carried out a high profile crac...

﻿From a minority perspective, this week was not a good week in Belgium. On Wednesday, a television broadcast proved that employment agencies cooperate actively with employers who don’t want to hire people with a foreign background (in Belgium the...

The conclusions of the European Council yesterday, 16 September 2010 (EUCO 21/10) give a somewhat surreal impression, because they drone on about the external relations of the European Union and briefly mention economic governance, whereas the drama...

The European Commission has given France until 14th October to prove it is not discriminating against the roma. Don't let France off the hook, don't let the Roma down! Sign the petition here! Related posts:We Are All Roma Now We are all Roma now A...

EU summit overshadowed by dispute over France’s removal of Roma camps. The New York Times reports: The dispute came to a head in a clash at lunch between Mr. Sarkozy and José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, which has...

We have seen an extraordinary war of words between the European Commission and a highly strung government of France. This has tended to obscure the real issues. Let us return to some of them. Yes, historically France has made important contributions...

French officials have declared themselves ‘astonished’ after European Commissioner for Justice and Fundamental Rights, Viviane Reding, described as ‘appalling’ the French practice of mass expulsion of Roma groups from French territory. Reding...

Toward the end of today there was a flurry of speculation among the journalists at the summit of EU leaders in Brussels, when word got around that the Bulgarian prime minister was telling people a violent altercation between French president Nicolas...

Reports are in that EU Commission President has rebuked Vivaine Reding for her attack on Sarkozy over the Gypsy furore."In the heat of the debate there were remarks that should not have been made. The vice-president of the Commission (Mrs Reding) has...

Arguments over the expulsions of the Roma from France have overshadowed a European summit in Brussels. There was a fierce row over lunch between the French President Nicolas Sarkozy and European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso. The French l...

OK, we had some fun, but it’s definitely past the time for a pause. All this fuss about France, Roma, N. Sarkozy, Commissionner Reding, … So, let’s just list the important point to remember/act on: No, we won’t send all the Roma i...

French face veil ban passes last legislative hurdle from Hurriyet Dailynews France’s proposed ban on full face veils in public cleared its last legislative hurdle Tuesday when the Senate approved a bill outlawing the garments. The burqa ban: it...